Theme of the Month

September 2017: Fall

Fall into: Improving your game, preparing for next season, and playing other sports!

Fall Baseball and Softball should be approached as a learning and improving ground. For most, it is a step up to the next age level to prepare for next season.

It is also an opportunity to learn new skills or improve on those that you are struggling with. Combining lessons and instruction with playing games is the perfect opportunity to do that. It is the last chance before winter break. It is also a time to play OTHER sports! We strongly encourage all of our students to play other sports. Use other muscles and gain cross-functional strength, speed, and agility. Soccer, football, volleyball, gymnastics, lacrosse are great sports to try.

No young kid should specialize in one sport by doing it 12 months out of the year. It’s too much and it promotes burnout!

Enjoy your fall!

August 2017: Softball

A heartfelt tribute to all of the beautiful softball ladies out there! To this day, what you all do simply amazes me!! Hats off to our Ladies of the Diamond!

Don’t forget, we are starting our own HS Travel Softball Teams. Tryouts are underway. For your chance to become part of a new all-inclusive softball travel organization read the attached flyer. Now forming 14U and 16U teams.

July 2017: All Stars

Our July Theme of the Month is: All Stars!
And no, we aren’t talking about the ones on TV.
We make it a point to treat our students like All Stars every day at National School of Baseball. Every student will receive the same respect, the same approach, the same goals, and the same chance to reach their potentials as athletes at NSoBS. Your successes are our successes and we could not be more proud of all of you!

June 2017: The Sandlot

Watch the movie and learn why these incredible young boys became so good at the game. This is such popular way of learning, it is now called “Sandlot Learning”. Learn from each other, especially when you have players who have something to offer in terms of good mechanics.

May 2017: No Excuses

Your season started right? So, why aren’t you doing the drills and exercises your instructor taught you? The goal is to get better as the season goes no, not get stagnated or fade at the end of the year. You all have the tools you need. Use them. NO EXCUSES! Get better or fade away. Your choice.

April 2017: Get Heated, Not Just Warm

Many baseball and softball seasons are already underway.

The weather in a lot of geographic areas is still quite chilly. Therefore, it is imperative that all players not only warm up, but get “heated”. There is a big difference between the two.

Warming up is just doing your team’s normal warm-up and stretching routine. Especially in cold weather, a player needs more than that. Getting “heated” especially for pitchers is a different level that protects the body. A player must get to the point of starting to sweat, but not being tired: Heart pumping, lungs pumping, blood flowing, muscles firing. In other words, find a way to build up a sweat even if it’s cold. There is nothing more dangerous than playing any sport in cold weather and your body is not ready to go. This is when injuries occur. Protect yourself. A great way to do this is using Biomechanics Dynamic Warm Ups. Get HEATED before every game regardless of the weather!

March 2017: Work Harder

“Work Harder!”
Almost all baseball and softball seasons are will be under way soon. Some start as early as the last weekend in March. So, what should you be doing? WORKING HARDER!! However hard you were working…Step it Up! More reps! More drills! More Focus! Your goal: Be the best prepared player on the field!

February 2017: Teammates

Strive to be a “Memorable” teammate, not a “forgettable” teammate.

Just because you are the most talented player on the team, does not mean you are the most memorable.

Help your teammates. Support them. Without them, you are one player standing alone. Pick each other up when you are down. Compliment each other. Fight for one another. Pull for one another.

These are the things that make you MEMORABLE! PLEASE be memorable!

January 2017: Own it

You can have the best coaches and instructors in the world who give you the best expertise, tools, drills, exercises and more.

However, if you do not put in the WORK on your time, you will not see the improvements you are looking for.

If you are not putting in the work and “owning it” you can bet your bottom dollar someone close to you is!

If they pass you by due to putting in the work and getting better, there is no one to blame but yourself. Just going to practice does NOT cut it anymore. “OWN IT!” It’s on YOU!

December 2016: Merry Christmas!

Santa loves baseball and softball! Ask for or give the Christmas gift of baseball or softball.

For example: lesson packages and clinics from the National School of Baseball & Softball. Also, ask for some new baseball and softball stuff. Sounds like a homerun!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Always believe!

November 2016: Off Season

Stay Strong. Work on mechanics. Work on fundamentals. Take some lessons if you can.

Young players should explore and play other sports! This is the best way to stay in shape, work other muscles, get strong and have fun doing it!

Still, try to find time (even just once a week) to work on your exercises, drills and mechanics.

Before you know it, it will be time to really go back to work!

October 2016: Fall Baseball and Softball

A season to learn, have fun, make new friends and become a better player. October means: Major League Playoffs and the World Series.

Watch the best TEAMS in baseball. Watch for the UNEXPECTED heroes. Watch to see if some of the best players of the regular season can repeat those performances under pressure of Playoffs. Is there another Mr. October out there?

See if the theory holds true: It is not the team with the most talent that wins. It is the best “team” that wins. Does pitching, defense and timely hitting win championships?

Even if your favorite team isn’t in it, pick one for any reason. Talk about what you see: great plays, unsung heroes, clutch performances, and something unexpected.

This month is about playing, watching, learning and getting excited about GREAT BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL!

September 2016: Fun

The number one goal for young baseball & softball players is to have FUN!
If you are not having fun, then it’s time to take a step back and figure out why.

This is not only about the players. This is for coaches and parents as well.

Players: Make sure you love the game. If you don’t love the game, then you will not put in the work required to become a better player. Every player has more fun when they succeed. If you have on interest in the game, you will not apply yourself in practice – which will directly effect what you do on the field.

Parents: Make sure your child is playing for the right reasons. See above. To be blunt, do not force your child to play a game he or she does not like. Work with them as much as you can at home. Find out fun ways to do that. Get special instruction and lessons if you can.

Coaches: As much as I hate to say this, the biggest complaints I receive from my students are:
“It’s boring.”
“It’s not fun.”
“I’m not learning anything.”
“We do the same things over and over again.”
“My coach won’t let me try different positions.”

It is without question the coach’s responsibility to make the game FUN! That starts with practices.

Infield practice for the sake of infield practice without detailed demonstration and discussion is not effective. It’s even less effective when you are barking or yelling instructions about what they are doing wrong. Stop practice and demonstrate. These are called “Teaching Moments”. Recognize when that moment arrives.

This is teaching and learning! Repeating the same type of practices over and over again is boring for everyone. You need to change it up.

Stop stigmatizing players. This is probably the number one complaint from all players.
There is a difference between safety and not giving kids a chance just because.
As an example: I have so many students tell me, “My coach won’t let me try X position.”
I test them and I can see they are perfectly capable of playing that position. So, why aren’t you letting them? Making the game FUN does not fall on the player – unless they are there for the wrong reasons.

August 2016: Visualization

“See yourself doing right and you do right,” ~Mickey – Rocky V.

“In order to actualize, you must visualize,” – Coach Pete.

The brain is the most powerful organ in the body. Without the brain, we have nothing. In order to reach the highest levels of performance that your body is capable of, you must learn to use your mind. One of the most powerful ways of doing so is to visualize exactly what you need to do physically with a positive end result. Research proves that performance can be enhanced through the practice of visualization. It is a way to relax. It builds your confidence when you quickly remind yourself that you know what to do and you know you can do it.

July 2016: Perfect Repetitions

The following numbers are scientifically proven to be correct. It takes 1,000 perfect repetitions to create or break a habit. It takes 10,000 perfect repetitions to make something automatic. It takes 10,000 hours of perfect repetitions to give yourself the chance to play at the highest levels. The key word here is PERFECT. If you are doing reps for the sake of doing reps, they do not count. Once you learn what perfection is, you need to repeat it over and over again to create muscle memory.

June 2016: Sportsmanship

In order to learn how to win, you need to learn how to lose – with dignity! In order to learn how to succeed, you must learn how to fail – with dignity! Win, lose or draw; success or failure; we ARE Sportsmen and Gentlemen.

May 2016: Confidence

Be unwavering, unflappable, unshakable, and confident on the mound. Don’t show emotion, and always be there to pick up your teammates as well.